God's Covenant with Abram
Abraham: Lessons in Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Definition: COVENANT
Covenant. Literally, means a contract . In the Bible, it’s an agreement between God and his people, in which God makes promises to his people and, usually, requires certain conduct from them.
God made a covenant with Noah, a contract with all humanity.
with Abraham, God made a covenant limited to his descendants, a Covenant of Grace, “he believed in the Lord”
with Moses, the mosaic law (430 yrs later)
Old Covenant
The Old Covenant, primarily associated with the Mosaic Law, was a legalistic agreement between God and the Israelites.
It involved a set of laws, rituals, and sacrifices that were designed to guide the people's behavior and maintain their relationship with God.
Key characteristics of the Old Covenant include:
External Righteousness: It emphasized outward obedience to the Law, focusing on actions and rituals.
Imperfect Mediator: The Levitical priesthood, while holy, was imperfect and required continual sacrifices to atone for sin.
Limited Scope: The Old Covenant was primarily limited to the nation of Israel.
The New Covenant
The New Covenant, inaugurated by Jesus Christ, is a spiritual agreement between God and believers. It is a covenant of grace, promising forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
Key characteristics of the New Covenant include:
Internal Righteousness: It emphasizes inward transformation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, focusing on the heart and mind,
Perfect Mediator: Jesus Christ, as the perfect sacrifice, is the ultimate mediator between God and humanity.
Universal Scope: The New Covenant is available to all people, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity. we are all made in the image of God.
Key Differences:
Feature Old Covenant New Covenant
Basis Law Grace
Focus Outward obedience Inward transformation
Mediator Levitical priesthood Jesus Christ
Sacrifice Animal sacrifices Christ's sacrificial death
Scope Primarily Israel All humanity
Law Written on tablets of stone Written on the heart
13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
What are we to know of Abram as he stands before God?
God has given him a promise, and Abram has believed God.
He has believed that one of his descendants is to bring salvation to the race.
God has declared Abram justified from sin because of His FAITH.
God has again reminded Abram of the promise of the land: “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
We may assume that Abram, who believed God in these greater Things, would also believe Him in the lesser—if he believed in the promise of a Savior, he would also believe in the promise of the land.
But now we read, Gen 15.8
8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
Abram is seeking encouragement and he’s asking God for a sign.
sometimes need encouragement, we to be sure its the Lords will.
Abraham is seeking encouragement about God's promise to give him the land of Canaan. So God directs Abraham to bring specific animals for a sacrificial offering.
In Genesis 15:9
9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram prepares the sacrifice
This act of sacrifice serves several purposes:
A Visible Symbol of Commitment: The sacrificial offering is a tangible expression of Abraham's commitment to God and his acceptance of God's promise. By offering a sacrifice, Abraham demonstrates his willingness to submit to God's will and to place his trust in God's word.
A Seal of the Covenant: The sacrificial ritual acts as a seal or a (APPROVAL) of the covenant between God and Abraham. It signifies the seriousness of the commitment.
A Reminder that God is Sovereign: The offering of a sacrifice acknowledges God is in control and is our authority, (An act of Worship). This reminds Abraham that he is dependent on God for everything, including the fulfillment of His promises.
While Abraham's sacrificial offering shows his commitment, it was ultimately God's faithfulness that guarantees the promise.
12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.
17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
The Smoking Oven - a smelter to purify God
Peter had such a furnace in mind when he wrote of the trial of our faith being “of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire” (1 Peter 1:7).
Malachi wrote that God “will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness” (Mal. 3:3). Malachi meant that God refines his people until he can see himself in them.
God wishes to do the same with you. At times the trial may be painful and you may resent the fire. But it will be good for you. God will purify you until you reflect his image.
a Flaming Torch - “God is Light”
The passage says that “a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces” (Gen. 15:17). This too is a symbol of God’s presence
1 John 1:5“5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
God alone moved between the pieces and guaranteed the promises.
Q- Why did God pass through the sacrifice Himself, why did he make he promise to Himself?
We all sin, and we fail to keep our commitments.
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as Exemplified in the next story;
Rather than waiting For Gods timing. Abram & Sarai took matter in their own hands, and the result was the birth of Ishmael through Sarai’s servant Hagar.
5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.” 6 So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.
My wrong be upon me...
means Sarai’s Bursts of temper, or blows, took place till at length Hagar, perceiving the hopelessness of maintaining the unequal strife, resolved to escape from what had become to her in reality, as well as in name, a house of bondage. - (Hagar - HEB., fight or escape)
There was no peace in the house, in fighting, jealousy, hurt, craziness and pain. why God?
When we take matters into our own hands, when we don't follow Gods will and calling, we make big messes, resulting in terrible consequences in our lives.
God doesn't want that for us.
The prelude to Ultimate Sacrifice: The sacrificial system in the Old Testament foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The blood of animals shed in sacrifice pointed to the need for a perfect sacrifice to atone for sin.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
The Promise of our Salvation was made with greater Sacrifice.
Jesus is that ultimate Sacrifice.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
God you do the impossible things
30 yrs Later when Sarai was 99 yrs old, (30 more years of waiting) the promise was fulfilled. Just as God had promised, Sarah had a son named Isaac, the son of God’s promise.
11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
In Conclusion:
Waiting on the Lord
Waiting on God's promises can be difficult for several reasons:
Human impatience: We often want things to happen on our own timeline, not God's.
Doubt and uncertainty: It can be hard to trust that God will fulfill His promises, especially when we don't see immediate results.
Fear of the unknown: Waiting can be scary because we don't know what the future holds.
Comparison to others: We may see others experiencing blessings and wonder why our own promises seem delayed.
However, it's important to remember that God's timing is perfect. He knows what He's doing, and His promises are always trustworthy.
Here are some tips for waiting on God's promises:
Trust in God: Believe that God is faithful and will keep His promises.
Be patient: Remember that good things take time.
Stay connected to God: Spend time in prayer, reading the Bible, and worship.
Find community: Surround yourself with people who can encourage you. Serve others: Focusing on serving others can help take your mind off your own circumstances.
Ultimately, waiting on God is an act of faith.
By trusting in Him and His promises, we can experience peace and hope, even in the midst of waiting.
29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
